Patrick impressive in stock car debut

Danica Patrick wanted to get experience by running the ARCA race at Daytona International Speedway, and she accomplished that goal with flying colors. She was credited with sixth-place in a photo finish with Ricky Carmichael at the line.

Our View Patrick had to avoid wrecks along the way and was even knocked into the infield by Nelson Piquet Jr. at one point, so she experienced nearly everything that she would face in a Nationwide Series race.

The final decision on whether she will run the Nationwide race next Saturday will come on Monday, but according to a tweet by @NASCAR_NNS, she has already been approved by NASCAR.

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Nationwide: Patrick schedule announced

JR Motorsports has announced Danica Patrick's 12-race Nationwide schedule. She has not yet been approved to run at Daytona in that series but could still be entered if she performs well in the ARCA Daytona event. Her first scheduled race will be at Auto Club Speedway on 2/20/2010 followed immediately by the event at Las Vegas the following week. Then she will take a break to concentrate on her IndyCar responsibilities and return to stock car competition at New Hampshire in June.

The remainder of her schedule includes Chicagoland, Michigan, Dover, the fall Auto Club race, Charlotte, Gateway, Texas, Phoenix (her hometown) and Homestead.

Our View The majority of these events are held on unrestricted, intermediate speedways, which gives her a chance to focus on the skill set requited to go fast on that track type.

Patrick's transition to the heavy stockers will be a challenging one, but with JR Motorsports equipment at her disposal, she could be a better value than many anticipate.

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ARCA's International Connection

Daytona Testing will include one of the most diverse testing fields in ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards history, with drivers representing five countries and racing backgrounds ranging from Formula 1 to grassroots touring stock car racing scheduled to participate in the three-day, ARCA-sanctioned open test.

At present, more than 50 drivers are scheduled to test. Among them, a growing segment of international drivers representing countries across the globe to include Venezuela, India, China and Canada.

Caracas, Venezuela's Milka Duno, Chennai, India's Narain Karthikeyan, Hong Kong, China's Darryl O'Young and Canadians Steve Arpin, Wheeler Boys, Derek White and Terry Jones join a list of drivers with non-U.S. hometowns who have driven ARCA Racing Series cars since the series' inception in 1953. Other countries that have been represented in ARCA Racing Series events over the years include Columbia, Germany, the United Kingdom, England, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Mexico, Japan and France.

Caracas, Venezuela's Milka Duno, scheduled to test the No. 90 Toyota Camry for Braun Racing, has competed in the IZOD IndyCar Series for the past three seasons and is an experienced road course racer in the Rolex Series Daytona Prototypes and the American Le Mans Series. She finished second in the 24 hours of Daytona in 2007, setting the record for highest finish by a female driver in the history of the race. The Daytona ARCA Open Test marks her stock car racing debut. "This will be a new challenge for me and one that I've been looking forward to," said Duno of this weekend's ARCA test. "I know it won't be easy - it will be hard work - but work that I'm ready to take on."

Chennai, India's Narain Karthikeyan is the first and only Indian driver to compete in Formula 1 and currently runs in the Le Mans Series. Karthikeyan completed the full 2005 Formula 1 season, posting a career-best finish of fourth at the Indianapolis Grand Prix for his Jordan Grand Prix Team and served as a WilliamsF1 test driver in 2006 and 2007. The 2009 ARCA Open Test at Daytona marks his first time in an ARCA Racing Series stock car and he is competing for a new team in the series, Starbeast Motorsports. Starbeast Motorsports has formed a strategic partnership with JTG Daugherty Racing for technical and marketing support and former ARCA Champion Andy Hillenburg will provide driver training/assistance during the test.

Hong Kong, China's Darryl O'Young represented his country in a full season of the FIA GT championship and the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans, making Chinese motor sports history. He will take on the next endeavor of his career-testing an ARCA Racing Series stock car at Daytona Int'l Speedway-as a teammate to Karthikeyan for Starbeast Motorsports.

Fort Frances, Ontario's Steve Arpin finished seventh in the final point standings during his rookie season of ARCA Racing Series competition in 2009 and enters this year's ARCA Open Test at Daytona with veteran team Venturini Motorsports. Prior to ARCA competition, Arpin competed in the USAC Silver Crown Series, IMCA, UMP Modifieds, CRA Late Models and snowmobile racing. He was voted the National Speed Sport News ARCA Nation Most Popular Driver by race fans last season.

Calgary, Alberta's Wheeler Boys plans to participate in ARCA Open Testing at Daytona in an entry owned by legendary NASCAR/ARCA driver James Hylton. Boys, who has prior experience in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and NASCAR Camping World West Series, is the son of former ARCA Racing Series competitor Trevor Boys, who made 102 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts from 1982-1993 and nephew of former ARCA Racing Series competitor Buddie Boys, also a NSCS veteran.

Kahnuwake, Quebec's Derek White is scheduled to participate in his career first ARCA Open Test for veteran ARCA driver/car owner Mario Gosselin, a fellow Canadian and three-time series winner. White has previously competed in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and made two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts for Gosselin's DGM Racing Team in 2009.

Amherstburg, Ontario's Terry Jones made his career-first ARCA Racing Series start in 2003 driving for his own Jones Group Racing Team. In 38 career starts to-date, Jones' career-best finishes include a sixth at Winchester Speedway in 2007 and a seventh at Salem in 2009. Jones also participates in weekly ARCA-sanctioned racing at Toledo Speedway in Ohio, where he earned the 2009 Championship in the Sportsman Division.

Other international drivers who have competed in ARCA Racing Series presented by RE/MAX and Menards competition over the years include but are not limited to:

Klaus Graf (Dornhan Germany)
Roland Rehfeld (Berlin Germany)
Michael Vergers (Oxford UK)
Neil Cunningham (London England)
Kieran Dynes (Dungannon Ireland)
Tony Spanos (Sydney Australia)
Stuart Lyndon (Hastings New Zealand)
Guillermo Ortelli (Buenos Aires Argentina)
Jorge Goeters (Mexico City Mexico)
Hideo Fukuyama (Suzuka Japan)
Juan Pablo Montoya (Bogota Columbia)
Alex Garcia (Caracas Venezuela)
Michel Disdier (Nice France)

Canadian Drivers:
Don St. Denis (Lasalle Ontario)
Pete Shepherd (Brampton Ontario)
Pierre Bourque (Ottawa Ontario)
Sean Stafford (Ontario)
Trevor Boys (Calgary Alberta)
Buddie Boys (Calgary Alberta)
Ron Fellows (Missisauga Ontario)
Jerry Churchill (Windsor Ontario)
Randy Churchill (Windsor Ontario)
Craig Bracken (Windsor Ontario)
Curt Dickie (Windsor Ontario)
Dwayne Dewar (Windsor Ontario)
Peter Gibbons (Stouffville Ontario)
Mike Goudie (Toronto Ontario)
Billy Rowse (Corunna Ontario)
Steve Robblee (London Ontario)
Laurent Rioux (Toronto Ontario)
George Sekanina (Kitchener Ontario)
JR Fitzpatrick (Cambridge Ontario)

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Cope forms new team

Derrike Cope has announced the formation of a new team for 2010 in partnership with Dale Clemons. The new venture will be called Stratus Racing Group, according to the Cope Web site, and intends to run full time in the Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series with Cope as the principal driver.

Our View In addition, his twin nieces Amber and Angela Cope will run in the ARCA series and selected Truck races. It has long been a goal of the Northwestern driver to bring these ladies into the sport, but now it appears he has the sponsorship in place to make it happen.

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ARCA: Duno to test at Daytona

Danica Patrick may have some competition as the top female driver in stock cars. Milka Duno is also expected to test at Daytona International Speedway this spring. She will be in Braun Racing entry according to a press release from the team (quoted at Jayski.com).

Our View The two ladies have not gotten along very well in the Indy Racing League, so in addition to the appeal of having female drivers in a male-dominated sport, fans could see sparks fly in any events they contest. Fenders have a tendency to make drivers bold.

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Danica wants $8 Mil for Nationwide Deal?

According to ESPN Insider, Danica Patrick is asking for eight million dollars to run eight Nationwide races in 2010, which would make her one of the most expensive part timers of all time.

Our View She would certainly bring a lot of attention to the series, but it's hard to imagine someone stepping up to the plate for that amount of cash in today's economy.

Wonder how much she wants for the ARCA races...

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Patrick Still in the Rumor Mill

Danica Patrick is still in the rumor mill as a potential NASCAR driver in 2010. SportsIllustrated.com is reporting that Rick Hendrick has confirmed JR Motorsports is in discussion with her to run a handful of Nationwide and ARCA races next year.

Our View With sponsor GoDaddy.com in the mix, this sounds like the most likely rumor we've heard so far. This would allow her to develop before getting tossed into the highly competitive Cup series.

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ARCA: Kligerman wins Mansfield

Parker Kligerman led most of the Tim Richmond Memorial 200, but don't let that fool you. For most of the second half of the event, Joey Coulter was on his back bumper.

Our View: With three laps to go a caution waved, which made Kligerman's job even tougher. By then, Coulter's tires were gone and he had to fight off a furious charge from Chris Buescher.

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ARCA: Lofton on Mansfield pole

Justin Lofton will lead the ARCA field to green for the Tim Richmond Memorial 200, according to ARCARacing.com.

Our View: In his last short track race at Toledo this season, he finished second at Toledo after starting second.

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ARCA: Buescher finishes fourth at Michigan

One of the two drivers doing double duty with the ARCA and Camping World Truck Series, James Buescher finished fourth in the Racing for Wildlife 200.

Our View: This is a good warm-up for the truck driver; seat time in any vehicle is valuable.

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ARCA: Kligerman wins at Michigan

Parker Kligerman won the Racing for Wildlife 200 by holding off Richard Childress' grandson Austin Dillon and the field. His passed two cars for the lead before the final caution for a spin involving Justin Marks.

Our View: This team was scheduled to run only eight times this year unless a sponsor was found. This was the eighth time and they still don't have a sponsor, but they do have two wins in 2009.

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ARCA: Ickler Fastest in Michigan practice

Brian Ickler posted the fastest lap in Friday morning's practice session at Michigan, according to ARCAracing.com. He topped 41 drivers.

Our View: Ickler will be doing double duty this week in the ARCA and Camping World Truck Series this week. James Buescher will also run the double header on Friday.

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Penske Takes Parker Kligerman to Prom

From an ARCA Press Release

Following his sixth-place finish in Saturday's Pocono 200, Rookie of the Year Contender Parker Kligerman traveled from Long Pond, Pennsylvania, to his hometown of Westport, Conn., to attend his Senior Prom. Kligerman, a Penske Development driver for Cunningham Motorsports, has spent his senior year of high school juggling school work and fulltime ARCA RE/MAX Series competition in hopes of landing a fulltime career in motor sports.

"It's kinda a hectic schedule," said Kligerman. "I go to Staples High School. It's the public school in my hometown of West Port, Connecticut. I have a lot of support from my principal. The day that I walked into school Freshman year I said 'You know I want to be a racecar driver and I'm going to have to travel a lot.' I didn't know exactly how far I was going to go but at the time I was racing open wheel cars on the West Coast. He said as long as you keep your grades up, it's a cool endeavor, we like it. My parents said, 'well it keeps you focused so we'll support it as much as we can as long as you keep your grades up'.

"My parents, actually [were the harder sell than my principal in convincing that I should be a racecar driver]. You would think that it would have been the principal but he thought it was awesome right away."

In seven ARCA RE/MAX Series starts in 2009, Kligerman has finished outside of the top-10 on just one occasion. He earned his first Series win at Toledo Speedway on May 17.

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Owens has strong top-10 finish at Pocono

Female driver Alli Owens had a strong 10th-place finish at Pocono Raceway.

Our View: This is her second top-10 in the ARCA series. She finished sixth at Talladega SuperSpeedway earlier this year and nearly cracked the top 10 on one other occasion on the tough old Rockingham Speedway. NASCAR's diversity is not terribly great in terms of women drivers, but they are on the horizon.

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Logano wins Pocono ARCA race

Joey Logano made the most of his part time ride in the ARCA series at Pocono. We figure it's ok to post this notice since both ARCARacing.com and SpeedTV.com spoiled their own race.

Our View: This was Logano's fourth start in ARCA. He's now won twice and finished second twice.

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Logano in Pocono ARCA race

Joey Logano will do double duty this week at Pocono. He will take to the track from the outside of the second row Saturday afternoon.

Our View: This track is tricky to learn and even though the cars are significantly different, Logano needs the seat time. This can only help him during the Cup race.

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Hylton to make his 700th start

In this week's ARCA race at Pocono, James Hylton will make his 700th major league stock car start, according to the Associated Press.

Our View: That is dedication. At 74 years of age, this racer still wants to compete—and if he leaves his left turn blinker on, well there's always another one coming up at Pocono.

N'Wide: Knupp crashes hard

Brandon Knupp has crashed Bob Schacht's unsponsored No. 75 in Nationwide practice. Hopefully, they have a backup car, because that one isn't going anywhere.

Our View: A graduate of the ARCA Truck series, Knupp has made nine Camping World Truck Series starts, but he hopes this will be his first Nationwide race.

Buescher wins ARCA contest

Up and coming driver James Buescher held off Justin Lofton at Kentucky Speedway to win the ARCA Drive Smart Buckle-Up Kentucky 150, according to ARCA.com.

Our View: This series provides a great opportunity to learn the fast line around tracks like Kentucky Speedway—one of the "cookie-cutter" courses. This slightly improves Buescher's odds in the Nationwide Series on the similarly-configured, 1.5-mile tracks.